Internal-combustion engine



Dec. 19, 1922. 1,439,377

" d W,-F, PAGEL,

INTERNAL CcMBusT oN ENQ NE.

FILED JAN. .15. T920.y 2 sHsETssHEET 1 nu. l v

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By' QM v w. F". PAGEL. INTERNAL CoMausT'l oN ENGINE.

FILED JAN,

2 shears-.snelst .2

lamented Dec. 19, i922. i

kadert?? WILLEAM F. PAGEL, 0F SYCEORE7 ILLINOIS.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed January 15, 1920. Serial Ne. 351,597.

drawings, forming a part of this specifica# tion. v I

lvly invention relates to improvements in internal combustion engines and has special reference to improvements in fuel feeding and ignition means.

lt isiny object to provide improved means for prinling the engine for startin l1' itv which means shall serre to protectn clean and preihe spark plug and which shall supply the priming fluid directly in the vicinity of the ignition spark. Another feature of. my invention relates particularly to an improved means for feeding fuel to thecylinders at times when the throttle valve is nearly closed, this feature being of especial benefit in connection with liquid fuels which are not readily' vaporizable.

is well known that on account of the "'j.' of vaporizing the low grade fuels now in use it is difficult when the engine is cold7 to supply a sufficient quantity of rich mixture in tlievieinity of the ignition. spark to ensure the ignition of the fuel charge, and :is the available fuel .for internal combustion engines becomes of lower and lower gfrade. this Aliflirultv is a gravated.

il is vfell understood aat once the fuel charge haL actually been ignited it will burn or er fie even if not uniformly mixed or even if some of the fuel charge is unevaporated, due to the low temperature of the engine cylinder at the time of starting.

The deposit of carbon at the ignition di lli point has heretofore been a source of'muchv trouble and this is becoming worse and worse as the grade of fuel drops.

The overheating` of the porcelain insulators of the spark plugs is a present' source of trouble and as low grade fuel results in higher temperatures in the cylinders this trouble is also becoming worse.

Another difficulty resulting especially from fuel of low grade is that at times when the engine is throttled down or in other words idling there is not suction enough to lift the low Grade fuel as it is not vaporized readily and consequently the engine dies7 or it has to he operated at a higher speed than is desirable.

By means of my invention I amenabled to vsupply a rich mixtureto the vacinity of the spark gap particularly when starting to preserve the spark plug from overheating, to prevent the production and lodgment of carbon upon the ignition points, and to effect theV delivery of fuel, especially low grade fuel, to the cylinders when the engine is idling, or in other words when the throttle valve is nearly closed.. My invention results in many more important and desirable results which will appear from4 the follow'- ing description taken in conjunction with said accompanying drawings, in which i Figure l is a fragmentary side elevation of an internal combustion engine partly in sec-tionj and illustrating one application of my invention; i

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical' fragmentary section particularly illustrating my improved spark plug and connections.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary elevation partly in section particularly illustrating the collector in the intake;

Figure 4; is a vertical sect-ion of the engine intake particularly illustrating the fuel collector and vaporizer which l emploi7 and its relation to the throttle valve and fuel feed nozzle of the carburetor;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figurel, illustrating the application of my invention for the purpose of feeding fuel to the engine when the engine is idling, and

.lfigure 6 is a fragmentary vertical section on the line 6 6 oflfigure 5.

In said drawings l represents a multiple cylinder engine having an inlet manifold 2 provided with 'a central depending intake 3. The intake has a flange 4 at its lower end to which a carburetor 5 is secured.

The engine illustrated is a four-cylinder engine and is provided with four spark plugs 6, one for each cylinder.` The spark plugs are arranged in the top or cover plate 'T and the spark gap is at the upper end of the cylinder in accordance with the usual arrangement. The manifold Zleads to two inlets or ports S whichdistribute the fuel gases to the four cylinders.

i T he carburetor 5 has a flange 9 at its upper end for securing it to the flange 4 on the intake and a throttle valve 10 is provided in the upper part ofthe carburetor to control the flow of air and fuel to the engine through the intake.

The throttle valve l is rigidly mounted on a transverse shaft l1. rotatably mounted in the walls of the carburetor. rlhe shaft has an arm l2 rigidly mounted on one outer end thereof which is adapted to be connected With any suitable control mechanism for manually setting the throttle valve.. Space below the throttle valve and carburetor is provided with a nozzle 13 through which liquid fuel is drawn by the suction of air through the intake of the engine.`

lith high grade gasoline or the lighter fuel oils no siecial diliieult is exoerieneed in lifting the fuel, emerging from the nozzle 13,4 with the air and delivering it through the manifold to the engine. But

, With the `lewin grade or heavier liquid fuel which is now prevalent7 it is practically impossible to lift all of the fuel emerging from the nozzle especially on Wide open throttle when the suction is lowv and upon nearly closed throttle when the suction is shut ofiT from the region of the nozzle. Both of these conditions cause trouble and the dithculties due to both thereof are elimina-ted by my invention.

One especiall trouble in theA operation of internal combustion A*engines at the present time is the difficulty of starting theni in cold Weather. This trouble results mainly from the fact that under low temperatures thepresent available fuel does not readily vaporize and consequently the fuel which is fed to the cylinders falls to the lower part of the combustion spaee viz, upon the cylinder head and aivay yfrom the vicinity of the spark gap7 consequently` a very lean mixture of air and fuel surrounds the igni-' tion points, `which lea-n mixture is dillicult if not impossible to ignite. Furthermore, when the engine is idling tie force of the suction at the fuel feed nozzle, While strong enough to cause the fuel to emerge from the nozzle is not strong enough. on account of the nearly closed condition of the throttle at suchv time to pick up and lift Athe unevaporated fuel'particles or drops. dhe percentage of the present fuel which vaporizes readily is topo small to afford a 'mixturc which will ignite easily from an electric spark,` consequently the throttle valve must be opened yup farther than desired to produce more suction With the result thatl the engine idles at too high a speed. All of these difficulties are eliminated by the use of my invention.y

lnthe rst place I provide a means for collecting` some of the unvaporized or rich mixturefrom the vicinityof the nozzle 13 and lifting it up' and delivering it to a suction passage leading tothe engine cyl#` inders. In one form of theinvention `this suction passage is the manifold and 1n an- The insulating slrv inner end of the sleeve uieuiher .1.4i forming of a much leaner mixture7 as the rich miie ture which l deliver at the spark plug reaA iily ignites and when once ignited the balance of the chargije though quite iran will explode.

The spark plug 6 has an outr sleeve member le which ada screwed into a' suitable threaded Y .g l5 provided in the cover plate T. This sleeve is yprovided at its outer end with a threadedA openingfor receiving the threaded sleeve nut 16. rl`he sleeveineniber ,il is provided with an interior circumferential shoulder i7 opposed to the inne] end of the sleeve nut and'hetween which the unnular rib i8 ou an insulating sleeve wenn bei' l) is adapted to be clriuiped for holding the insulating member in position. ve l.) stops short of the a small chamber 20. Mounted in the iu-I sulation sleeve 'member 1,9, which is preferably made of porcelain or some similar material is central metallic rod or stem 2l Which founs one of the cle redes of the spark plug, the other ele le being formed by the inner end 9.2 o he sie:` y"c member lll. The inner* end of the stein or rod 2l is slightly enlarged to fr rn a .sh-:rulder 23 for Contact `with 'the inner end of the porcelain sleeve. ll`he outer end of the rod 2l projects out bey-ond` the outer end of the porcelain sleeve and Vhreaded to receive a cap or nut member y-fhich is providedivith a. petticoat surrounding and protecting the outer end of the porrelain insulator sleeve. lh'ei'erahly the stein 2l is formed iu the porcelain sleeve when it is producer',Y and the burning of the porcelain seals the stein in. place and prevents the escape of gases through the porcelain sleeve Aaround the stein.

I provide the inner end 22 of the sleeve member lei with an internal flange Q6 which has a central hole 2 slightly larger in diameter than the head 2S on the inner end of the ystem 2l. The annular spacev thus formed between the head Q8.l which is long enough to project into the opening E26, forms the spark gap.

l provide the stein 21 with a central duct 29 leading from its upper end down through the stem and ending between the ends of the head 28. it the lower end of the duet 29 it joinsl transversely radial ducts or minute passages 30 which lead into the chamber 20. These passages 30 are arranged on two diameters at right angles to each other' so that the fuel gases are deliverel into the chamber 2O uniformly all around. It will now be understood that during the suction stroke of the piston in the cylinder in which the spark plug is mounted that suction will be produced in the radial passages or ducts 30 and the cent al passage 29. Th head 24C is provided with a central passag 31 which connects with a transverse passag 32 formed centrally in horizontal projections rl`he projections of the several spark plugs are adapted to be jointed by short pieces of rubber tubingv 84 and at one point l arrange a 35l for connecting the horizontal communicating passage thus formed with a collector of the unvaporizcd liquid. fuel which l arrange in the intake between the nozzle 13 and the throttle valve l0. The upper parts of the cap nuts 24 serve as binding posts for the wires 36 with which the spark plugs are connected ff) (D with the ignition system of the engine. To-

prevent the escape of the gases in the cylin der through the several passages there is a simple check valve provided at the upper end of each of the stems 21. This consists of a ball valve 37, which is adapted to seat upwardly to close the passage in the cap 24, which communicates with the horizontal passage 32. The ball is supported slightly below its 'closing position on a cross bar 38 mounted in the cap 24 so that it cannot fall and close the central passage in the stem 21.

For collecting the unvaporized fuel in the intake, l provide a wire gauze cylinder or tube 39 which l mount transversely in the intake or suction inlet just above the nozzle 13 or in otherv words between the nozzle 18 and the throttle valve 10. This tubular collector is open at one end l0 and i at the opposite end is fixed upon the inner end of the screw plug el, adapted to be removably mounted in the wall of the intake passage. y j i This plug 451 is provided with a central passage and is connected at it-s outer end to a small bore metallic tube l2 which connects at its other end with the lateral branch of the "l" 33. rlrhe ends of the tube 42 are connected or fastened by the usual compression couplings.

Upon the suction stroke of the piston a ver f strong suction is provided through the central passage in the spark plug and the connecting passages and is effective to draw in a charge of the unvaporized fuel which has impinged and settled upon the wire gauze collector 39. Air is drawn in with the fuel making a very rich mixture and this rich fuel mixture is distributed through the lateral passages or ducts 3() into the spaces 20 at the inner ends of the spark plugs from which it escapes through the annular spark gaps, consequently this rich mixture in the best position to be ignited by the ignition sparks and being ignited will. cause the explosion of the rest of the charge even though 'the bulk of the charge be quite lean. ltis evident that upon each suction stroke of the engine regardless of the position of the throttle valve, whether open or nearly closed, that strong suction will be produced in the connecting pipe d2 and will tend to draw in a mixture and discharge the same into the explosion space of the engine and in the immediate vicinity of the spark gap. rllhese gases are relatively cool as they flow through the passage of the spark plug and tend to cool 'the plug and prevent overheating of the electrodes and the porcelain insulator. As they are discharged into the chamber 2O with considerable force. they are violently intermingled and mixed and are heated sutiiciently so that all of the fuel is thoroughly vaporized. rlhe violent discharge of the gases serves' another' important function in that it tends to dislodge and blow out any carbon which may have formed in or about the spark gap. l form the upper surface of the flange 26 conical or inclined to avoid any flattened surface upon which carbon may settle or remain.

As suggested hereinbefore the fuel which is picked up by the collector 39 may be delivered to the cylinders through the manifold and in Figures 5 and 6 l have illustrate-tl this form of my invention, ln this form instead of the suc-tion by-pass leading to the hollow spark plug it is connected directly to the manifold 2. l provide a connector i3 having aV threaded branch All for mounting in a suitable threaded opening provided in the vside of the manifold and having second branch 45 for connection to the pipe 4t2 by a compression coupling 46. Under some conditions it is desirable to admit additional air with the rich fuel mir-:ture drawn through the tube 42 and for this purpose l provide the connection 45:3 with an inlet port el? normally closed by a spring pressed valve 48, which has a stein 49 slidablyv mounted in a guide hole 50 provided in a cap member 51 adjustably mountedin the connection 43. By adjusting the cap 51 the tension of the spring can be regulated to control the admission of air through the port lli" as desired.

As explained the fuel which is drawn up through the pipe 12 is usually that which is not easily vaporized under ordinary temperature, and while it will be delivered to the manifold even when the throttle is nearly closed, it may be in liquid form and will consequently not properly mix with the air. To overcome this difficulty, I provide a. heater to raise the temperature of the bypassed fuel. Thisheater consists of a closed box or chamber 52 surrounding a portion of the pipe 42 and adapted to be connected by a and during lt will new be understood that in one .as-

pect the invention comprises the extraction of the unvaporized portion of the liquid fuel from the intake passing it around the throttle and hack into the suction intake again such bypassing applying heat to vaporize it.

s many modifications of my invention will readily suggest themselves to one skilled in the art, l do not limit or confine my invention to the specific structures herein shown and described.

l claim l. In an internal combustion engine having eyiinders and a suction .intake thereto, a fuel feed nozzleV in the intake, a throttle valve between the nozzle and the cylinders for controlling the suction, the cylinders provided with inlet ports of small area at their outer ends, ignition means arranged at the inner ends of said ports, a fuel collecting devic-e arranged between the fuel feed nozzle and the throttle, and a passage of relatively small cross-sectional area connectinfY said fuel feed device with the outer 4ends or' said ports.

trolled passages terminating` at the spark gap thereof, a fuel feed collecting device arranged between the nozzle and the throttle in the intake and a passage of relatively small cross sectional areas connecting said fuel feed collection device with the outer ends of the passages in the spark plugs.

3. ln an internal combustion engine having a cylinder, a spark plug arranged in the outer end of the cylinder', the spark plug provided with a central electrode wh'lcn is hollow, the outer end of said electrode conynected by a passage to the intake of the engine, and means within the intake for feeding a rich mixture through said aassage.

a. ln an internal combustion engine having a cylinder and aI suction intake, a spark plug arranged in the outer end of the cylinder, the spark plug provided with a central. electrode which is hollow, the outer end of said electrode connected by a passage to the intake of the engine, means for feeding a rich fuel mixture to said passage, and a check valve at the outer end of said electrode to close said passage against pressure from the cylinder.

5. In an internal combustion engine having a suction intake, a throttle valve in the intake, a cylinder, a spark plug for the. cylinder, the spark plug having a pair of electrodcs separated at their inner' ends to forni a spark gap, one of said electrodes being hollow and provided with outlet openings at its inner end at the spark gap, the outer end of the hollow electrode connected by a passage witlrthe suction intake of the engine beyond the throttle valve and means within the intake for delivering a rich fuel mixture thereto and a check valve for preventing the subjection of said passage to high pressures within the cylinder.

V(i ln an internal combustion engine, a cylinder7 a suction intake for the cylinder, a spark plug for the cylinder, the plug having a central insulated electrode which has a central passage, the inner end of said passage terminating at they gap of the spark plug in a plurality of radially extending outlets of small area, the outer end of said passage connected to the engine intake and provided with means for feeding a rich fuel mixture tothe cylinder.

In witness whereof, l hereunto subscribe my name this 9th day of January, A. D. 1920.

WILLAM F. PAGEL. 

